Doubt Truth To Be a Liar
by pandorabox82
Summary: When Erin's oldest daughter is found to be in need of a liver transplant, old secrets from the past come back to haunt both her and David. Will one night of passion twenty years threaten to derail the first fumbling steps towards lasting love between them? Written for Ilovetvalot!
1. Chapter 1

"Mom, I don't see why you had to come with me. This is just a routine follow-up to my tests." Erin looked over at her eldest daughter, Chelsea, and just shook her head. "What?"

"You are my child, Chelsea. Of course I want to be here. And I'm worried about you, I really am." Erin reached out and covered her daughter's knee with her hand. "Honey, I had the hardest time waking you up this weekend. I know you've been having a rough time with your classes, but this is much more serious than pulling an all-nighter and being exhausted the next few days."

Chelsea nodded and picked up her hand, squeezing tightly. "You can be nervous for me, then. I have to finish this paper for my linguistics course, and I'm only on page six of thirty. I have no idea why I chose to focus on the issues of metonymy featured in Flannery O'Connor's short stories. There is so much data there that I could easily end up with fifty pages or more."

Erin just nodded, the conversation meaning nothing to her. She had been a history and political science major in college, and while she loved that her daughter was so intelligent, she wished she understood half of what she said about the English language. "That's nice, honey. Just remember to get me a cheat sheet so that I can being to catch up on what you know."

Her daughter smiled as Erin's phone went off. "Ooh, is that your Davie-poo?" Erin felt her face flush bright red as she pulled her phone out.

"Hello. What do you need, David?"

"You sound a little irritated. Did I do something that I didn't know about?" He sounded concerned and she smiled dreamily at her phone.

"No, I'm at the doctor's, waiting on some tests."

"You didn't tell me that. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, it's not for me. It's Chelsea. She's been extremely fatigued lately, and she says that she's achy."

"And you are more terrified than you're letting on. Do you want me to come there and wait with you two?"

She sighed happily. When they had begun this relationship in May, she had expected it just to be about instant pleasure, about sex whenever they wanted it. And then he had been the first one to drop the love-bomb. Sure, it had come after that woman had joined the BAU, but still, he had told her he loved her. "No, darling, just be here tonight."

"Whatever you need from me. I was actually calling to see what you wanted for supper. You seemed to like that veal and eggplant parmesan that I made last week."

"That does sound delicious."

"What's Davie-poo making for supper, Mom? Is it going to be good?" Chelsea interrupted and she pulled her hand free to swat her daughter's shoulder. "Ow! That is so child abuse!"

"Let me guess, Chelsea wants to come over, too."

"That's what I'm getting from her. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you, too." She hung up and set the phone to silent before shoving it back in her pocket. "You can come to supper, too, Chelsea."

Her daughter grinned at her. "Davie-poo loves me almost as much as he loves you."

"I wish you would stop calling him that. You know I blush every time you do."

Chelsea giggled. "That's why I do it. You never used to react like that, when you were drinking. I got you back, Mom, and I'm not going to let go of that any time soon." Erin felt her throat clog with tears as she nodded. Her daughter turned to her and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Mom, and I just wish I had been able to help you."

She was about to say something to her daughter when the nurse came out. "Chelsea Strauss?" They stood and followed her back to an exam room. Erin was surprised that the woman didn't take Chelsea's vitals and she clenched her hand into a fist to keep from asking. "Dr. Byers will be by in about five minutes to speak with you."

They nodded in tandem and Erin sat next to her daughter on the exam table. "Mom? If something is really wrong, would you mind if I moved back home?"

"Of course you can come home, honey." Erin reached for her hand once more, and Chelsea threaded her fingers between hers. "But, I'm going to trust you not to come into the bedroom without knocking first."

"Mom!"

"What? You don't like it when I embarrass you?" she teased gently, nudging shoulders with her.

"No." Chelsea huffed with impatience as Erin laughed, squeezing her daughter's hand tightly. The door to the room opened and they both looked up to see Dr. Byers walk in, a pensive look on her face. "Long time, no see, Dr. Byers," she tried to joke and Erin knew by the half-smile that crossed the woman's face that something was seriously wrong.

"Is it all right that I talk about this in front of your mother? I am going to be asking some very sensitive questions, Chelsea."

"My mom and I have a great relationship. We can talk about anything."

The woman nodded. "All right, then. I'd like you to think about your personal history in the last few years. From looking at your medical records, I can see that you haven't had any blood transfusions, so that rules out the first option. Have you done any illegal drugs? I know that there is that box to check off on your yearly physical form, but people lie."

Erin swallowed hard, not sure if she wanted to hear what her daughter was about to say. "I can honestly say that I have never taken any sort of illegal drug. Nor have I shared needles with anyone. What's wrong? Do I have HIV?"

The fear in her daughter's voice tore at Erin's heart and she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. "No, no, it's not HIV. From your blood work, I have diagnosed you with having Hepatitis C. And it appears as if you caught it from a sexual partner, since you have had no exposure to the other two forms of transmission."

"What sort of treatment are we looking at, Dr. Byers?" Erin asked hesitantly, letting go of Chelsea's hand to wrap her arm around her waist, holding her close.

"Right now, I'd like to start you on antiviral drugs to try and knock it out of your system. If that works, wonderful, we'll treat it that way. If not, you're looking at a liver transplant."

Erin blanched at the notion of her daughter undergoing such a major surgery at twenty five and sent up a quick prayer that the medicine would do its job. "When would you like me to begin the medicine regimen?"

"Tomorrow. I've already written your prescription up and had it filled at the hospital pharmacy. The receptionist will give it to you when you make your next appointment. I'll need to see you in two weeks' time, and that will tell us how we should proceed."

They both nodded and Dr. Byers left the room. Chelsea turned to her and promptly burst into tears. "Mommy…"

Erin opened her arms and her daughter collapsed into her embrace. She gently rubbed her back as she murmured in her ear. "Honey, you're going to be okay. I'll take care of you. Let's get the medicine and then run by your apartment and pack up a bag." Chelsea nodded against her shoulder, but didn't let go of her. "We have to get moving if we want to do that, precious."

"I know." She took a deep breath and stood up, reaching out for her mother's hand. "Don't let me go?"

"Never, precious." She led her out to the receptionist and paid for the appointment before taking the bottle of pills from the woman's hand. "Now, let's head out." She guided her daughter out to her car and helped her in the passenger seat. The entire drive to the apartment, her daughter cried and Erin felt her heart break all the more. And then the first craving hit and she shuddered. She would not let alcohol win this time, she would be strong for her family.


	2. Chapter 2

Chelsea had lain down on her bed the minute they got home, falling asleep while Erin put away her clothes. When she had finished, she crawled into bed with her daughter, curling her body around Chelsea's. "Baby, we are going to get you through this, I promise," she whispered as she kissed her daughter's face.

She was just about to fall asleep herself when the doorbell rang. Getting up carefully, she crept downstairs and looked out the window to see David standing there. Opening the door, she smiled wearily at him. "Hey, I thought you would come here. How's Chelsea doing?"

"She's sleeping right now. Did you leave work early?" He nodded. "Well, come in and join me." She held out her hand to him and he clasped it tightly. Hesitantly, she led him up to her bedroom. "I'm sorry to have ruined our plans for tonight."

"You didn't ruin anything, Erin. It's important to be with your family at a time like this. Have you called Alan to let him know the diagnosis yet?"

"No. And I really should, since Nick and Amelia should know what's going on as well. I just haven't found the strength yet. Would you mind doing that while I curl up here on the bed?"

"That's fine." She pointed to the phone by her bedside as she curled up on the bed, tugging her pillow into her arms as he sat down next to her. Her eyes closed as she listened to her lover talk to her ex-husband. Over the course of the conversation, his voice became lower and lower, and she knew that Alan was upsetting him.

"No, Chelsea is staying here with her mother and me, end of discussion! I will pick up the pieces of the life that you threw away to be with your little hussy. Just pass the word along to Nicky and Mia." He angrily hung the phone back up before stretching out along Erin's body and pulling her tightly to him. "I hope you don't mind me just inviting myself into your house, my love. But I did mean it, I am going to stay here by your side and Chelsea's until she is completely better."

She nodded before wrapping her arm around his waist, cuddling as close to him as she could get. "I love you. I don't tell you that enough, but I do. What am I going to do about work, though? I've had so much time off lately, due to my addiction, that they could just ask me to retire. I don't know if I could handle that."

"Have you thought about working from home until Chelsea is all better? A lot of what you do could be completed here, and I could get Garcia to set you up with a mobile workstation so that you could easily communicate with us and Helen."

She sighed lightly, kissing the place where his neck and jaw met. "You think of all the perfect answers, David. What would I do without you?"

"I don't even want to know, beloved." Dave rested his chin atop her head and closed his arm around her. "I do know that you want to sleep. I can hear it in your voice. And if I happen to be gone when you wake up, you can find me in the kitchen."

"All right," she murmured through a yawn, rubbing her face into his shirt and breathing in his cologne. The familiar scent helped to relax her, and it wasn't long before she found herself in a dreamless sleep.

When Erin woke up, she found she was not alone, though Dave was gone. Chelsea had joined her at some point and was cuddled up next to her, watching her. "So, I lost out to Davie-poo. It figures."

Erin rolled her eyes at her daughter. "You didn't lose out to him. He got the pleasure of informing your father of your illness and told him of his intent to stay with us through your entire illness. He loves us, Chels, he really does."

"Of course he loves me. He told me that I am a perfect reflection of you when you were my age. He told me once that he reminds me of your youth and when he fell in love with you the first time. Why didn't you marry him instead of Dad?"

"I've asked myself that numerous times, honey. I was already engaged to your father when I started at the Bureau and met him. I had made a commitment to him, Chelsea, and I couldn't just turn my back on that. But I wouldn't have the three of you if I hadn't married him, and I love all of you so very much." She reached out and caressed her daughter's face.

"Do you ever regret it, though?"

"Sometimes, when I think about that…" Erin broke off, her cheeks reddening as she realized what she had almost revealed to her daughter.

"What? When you think about what, Mama?"

Her daughter had always been too smart for her own good and Erin sighed. "When I think about that one night I had with him. You hadn't been born yet, wouldn't come along for another ten months, and your father and I had had a huge fight."

"So Dave comforted you the only way he knew how?"

"Something like that. I should never have cheated on your father, it was wrong to break the vows I had made with him, but I needed that one night. And then, when Dave tried to convince me to leave your father, to run away with him and get married, I couldn't tell him yes. The fight we had was worse than the one with your father." Erin felt a few tears begin to fall down her face and Chelsea reached up to wipe them away.

"You loved him, really and truly. Of course it would hurt more." Erin nodded as she sat up, gathering her daughter up in her arms. "Did you ever wish that I could have been his daughter, so that you had some piece of him?"

"A little, at times. But I knew that was a fool's errand, so I just kept that one memory of us in my mind burning brightly."

"I did, too, babe." They both looked at the doorway. "Supper's ready if you're hungry. It seems you managed to sleep the entire day through."

Nodding, Erin got out of bed and made her way over to the door, letting him sling his arm around her waist as he held out his other hand to Chelsea. "You made the parmesan that I wanted, right, Dave?"

"I can't remember, did you want the veal and eggplant one or the one with the jalapeno peppers?" She knew he was joking, but she swatted his shoulder anyway, listening to him chuckle.

"Mama does the same thing to me, Dave. I keep telling her that it's still abuse, even if we do love her." Chelsea stuck her tongue out at her through a smile and Erin just raised her eyebrow back at her. "What? Your swats are powerful."

"If I wanted to hurt you, I'd punch you. I still have to go through the yearly qualifications at the FBI, and try to keep on top of my self-defense classes." This had Dave breaking out into a full laugh and she trilled along with him, snuggling into his side. "And it had better be veal and eggplant, otherwise you are on the couch tonight."

"Ouch, babe, I'm stung." He turned his face and kissed her head. "But you'll have to fix that later tonight," he whispered in her ear, letting his tongue dance along the outer shell, making her shiver with anticipation.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite the nap she took, and the early time she went to sleep (despite Dave doing his level best to distract her), Erin woke up late the next morning. She was still in his arms, her flesh pressed tight to his. They hadn't cleaned themselves up after making love last night, and she loved still being able to smell him on her.

"I didn't set the alarm last night, I'm sorry," he murmured as she sat up and stretched. "Guess that means we'll have to take a joint shower."

"As long as it's just a shower and not anything that leads to more," she replied, taking a good look at the clock. "Come on, let's get a move on." She swung her legs out to stand and went over to the bathroom door. "What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing, just admiring how beautiful you are." He hurriedly joined her and they went in. She stepped into the shower first and then he was turning on the water. "So, I'm going home after work today and packing up a few bags. I'm also putting myself on desk duty, so I can be here if anything should happen. The team has Blake now, they can handle a few weeks without me in the field."

"When are you going to stop making me cry, David?" she asked as she stepped beneath the stream, letting it wet her hair as he lathered up his body.

"I don't know, perhaps when the angels call us home? At least they're not angry tears." He leaned in to kiss her gently before handing the shampoo bottle over and letting her get on with washing. When they had finished, he dried them off and then went out to pick out clothes for the day while she dried and styled her hair and did her makeup.

"I thought we had worked out what was office appropriate?" she asked when he handed her a racy lingerie set that looked new. At least, she had never seen it in her wardrobe before.

"I chose your navy suit and cream silk blouse. These, however, are for you to focus on me, and not what Chelsea is going through. Today, you just need to be, while tomorrow we pick up the fight once more." He kissed her cheek and handed the bits of lace over to her. "Besides, I don't think I've ever seen you in periwinkle. Usually you stick more neutral tones."

She blushed as she tugged the panties on, realizing how little they covered. "They feel like a dream, Dave, but everyone is going to know that I'm wearing them!"

"Only if they're staring at your ass, which they shouldn't be, because you belong with me." Erin nodded as she clasped the bra, loving how it lifted her breasts, making them look a little more perky than normal. "I made a good choice with that bra. Though I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off of you until tonight."

"Maybe you could come and have lunch with me." She felt herself blush as he nodded and she pulled on her blouse, quickly buttoning it. After she had finished, they went downstairs and found Chelsea making them oatmeal. "Good morning, Chelsea."

"Morning, Mom, Davie-poo. I actually felt a little better this morning, but now I'm getting tired. I think I'm going back to bed after we eat."

Erin nodded, sitting at the table and patting the seat next to her as Dave began to dish out the food. Her daughter moved her chair closer to her and she smiled slightly. "Do you need me to stay home, then?"

"No, I'm just going to sleep the day away. After I email my professors and see what I should do about my coursework. This is really going to derail my plans of finishing up this year." She sniffled lightly, and Erin wrapped her arm around her shoulders, holding her close as her daughter began to cry.

Dave came up to her other side and rested his arm atop Erin's, stroking Chelsea's arm. "If you have to defer a year, it will be okay, I promise." He kissed her cheek softly and she nodded, staring at the table. "Or, you could see if they'll let you work from home. We have an amazing technical analyst who could set you up with a state of the art computer system here."

"Maybe, if I can work that out." She took the bowl from his hands and picked at it. "I am so hungry, Mom. But I don't feel like eating."

"Just try to get a little bit of that down, sweetheart. And take up some fruit, so if you wake up and are hungry, you don't have to come all the way downstairs to grab something. I'll be home by six tonight, and David will be here later on, okay?"

Chelsea nodded. "I love you, Mom, Dave." Tears spilled down her cheeks as she ate as much as she could. "I'd better get those emails done before I fall asleep on my feet." She hugged Erin tightly and then Dave before slowly exiting the room.

The moment she had left, Erin felt herself break down. Her lover came around to her side, bundling her up in his arms. Dave let her cry as he held her, rocking her back and forth until she had once more gained control. "Thank you, my love."

"Anytime, Erin." He kissed her cheek softly and then put the dishes away. "Are you ready to head out?"

"I guess. The sooner we're there, the sooner I can get home to her." They went out to their cars and she let him pull out first before following after him. Erin found she couldn't concentrate on the news that morning, so she turned to the local classical station, letting the relaxing music wash over her.

She parked next to Dave and smiled gently at him. He stood up and held out his arm to her, letting her step in close to him. When they reached the elevators, she saw that Alex Blake was also there, waiting. Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to brace herself for anything the woman said.

"Good morning David, Erin. Still in an illicit romance, I see."

Erin pursed her lips so she wouldn't say the first thing that came to her mouth. "Save it, Blake. We are not in the mood for you this morning," Dave answered instead, fixing his gaze on the woman. "So, please, leave us alone."

The woman sputtered a few times before looking at Erin a little more closely. The change in her demeanor shook her a little, and she shrank into Dave. "Of course. If, when, I'm sorry." It was the first time she had ever seen Alex Blake lost for words, and she could only nod as the doors opened and they stepped inside.

The ride up was awkward, as both women tried to avoid looking at each other. Once on the sixth floor, they all stepped out and Dave walked with her over to her office. Helen was there already, and she smiled tiredly at her assistant. "Good morning, Ma'am. There were a number of calls for you yesterday, and I left the messages on your desk. Director Shepperd would also like to see you this afternoon at two."

She nodded and went into her inner sanctum. Dave was at her heels and she was grateful to have him there. "We might be taking off early."

"It's nothing, Erin. He probably just wants to know why you were out yesterday."

"You're probably right, but just in case, can you be ready to leave at four?"

He nodded and then leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Never forget that I love you, my Erin."

"I'll try not to." She wrapped him up in a tight hug before pushing him out the door. "Now go, I'll see you tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

Erin was exhausted by the time she opened the door of her home. David had been right about Director Shepperd, he just wanted to run over some things for the next quarter's budget. After they'd gone over that, she discussed her need to possibly take some personal time, briefly explaining Chelsea's situation. He'd been sympathetic, which set her heart a little at ease. The worry, though, ate at her gut like nothing else and at the end of the day she had found herself craving a glass of bourbon.

Sighing, she toed off her heels and slid her feet into the luxurious slippers Dave had purchased for her on her birthday. Well, there had been more to the gift, but this had been her favorite part. She could never find a good pair of slippers to save her life and then he'd presented her with these.

Smiling, she went over to the staircase and called up the stairs. "Chelsea! Are you awake, sweetheart?" She listened for her daughter's voice and then began to climb. Opening Chelsea's door, she found her daughter sound asleep, sprawled out on the bed. Her books were open around her, and Erin just shook her head.

Quickly, she put sticky notes on the pages they were open to before piling them on the table. Once her bed was empty of extras, she laid down next to her child, holding her close. "Momma?" she mumbled, turning to burrow into her.

"Yes, baby, I'm here. How did your day go?"

"I think I slept a lot. I know I emailed my professors, and I tried to work on my reading for the week. I just couldn't keep my focus long enough to get more than a paragraph read." She yawned and Erin rubbed her back in soft circles.

"Go back to sleep than, my sweet girl. I'll hold you for a while." Chelsea nodded and snuggled closer, quickly falling asleep. Erin continued to rub her back, feeling her eyelids grow heavy, the quiet of the house filling her senses. Before long she was asleep, her last thoughts on Dave.

"Wake up, _cara_. I have supper started already." Erin stretched, looking at her daughter. Chelsea was also stirring, rubbing her face into Erin's shoulder as she fought wakefulness. "Hey, Chelsea girl. Are you feeling any hungrier this evening?"

"Maybe a little." She slowly sat up and rubbed her stomach lightly. "I should probably check my email to see what my professors said. Could you give me a few minutes?"

"How about I take the laptop downstairs with us and you can do that while you eat."

"I thought Mom said no technology at the table. That was the rule growing up." She smiled as she stretched, resting against Erin.

"We can bend the rules for a little while, Chels. After all, you are going through such an ordeal." They stood and Chelsea slung her arm around her waist, snuggling in close to her. "What did you make for us tonight, David?"

"I went with something light and simple tonight. Grilled chicken salad with my grandmother's Italian dressing."

"That sounds wonderful, Davie-poo." Chelsea giggled as Erin shook her head, and they eventually made it downstairs and into the kitchen. Dave had even portioned out four plate for them. "Wait, who's the other spot for?" her daughter asked, giving voice to her own question.

"I invited Kitten over. She's going to get you both set up with a home office tonight."

"I can't afford that, David."

"I didn't say you were going to pay for it. There are perks to being in love with a world famous author, and this is one of them." He stepped close and kissed her cheek softly. "Now, just have a seat and let me lead for just a little bit?"

Erin's shoulders slumped as she nodded, taking a seat in her chair. Chelsea sat next to her, resting her head against her arm. "Momma, what did we ever do to deserve Dave in our lives?"

"I don't know, precious. When I figure that out, I'll let you know, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Moments later, Dave returned with Penelope. She smiled at them and took a seat across from Erin. "Hey, thanks for having me in your home. After we eat, Rossi's going to help me bring everything in and then you can show me where you want it all set up."

"Sounds like a plan, Ms. Garcia."

"Please, call me Penelope," she responded, her smile growing. Erin nodded a little and dug into her salad. The dressing was delicious and she groaned in pleasure as she swallowed.

"You are going to have to make this again, David," she murmured as she speared another few pieces of lettuce. "You grandmother was a genius with flavor."

"I'll keep that in mind, cara," he replied, smiling at her. They had just about finished their meal when someone rang the doorbell. "I'll get that, you ladies finish eating."

She nodded, her brow furrowing in concern as she speared the last few leaves, sopping up some of the remaining dressing. "What's wrong?"

Erin looked up at Penelope, shrugging a little. "I'm just worried that it could be Alan. He was not happy on the phone yesterday, I guess. David wouldn't tell me what he said, just that he wasn't pleased."

"Dad probably wanted me to come home to him. He thinks I should be closer to him and his girlfriend. I don't like her." Chelsea pushed away her plate and yawned deeply. "Could we go to the living room? I feel like I'm about to nod off here."

Erin nodded and stood, holding out her arm to her daughter. Chelsea snuggled close to her and she motioned with her head for Penelope to follow them. They had just made it to the doorway of the living room when a loud voice boomed through the house. "You are not welcome in this house!"  
She shuddered and held Chelsea closer as they took a seat on the sofa. "Your father must not be listening to David."

"It's not a wise move to ignore what Davie-poo says," she murmured through a yawn, her cheek rubbing against Erin's chest. Penelope and Erin locked eyes and the younger woman burst into giggles at the nickname. "Momma doesn't like my nickname for her lover. She thinks it a bit ridiculous. I just like making her blush and smile."

"I'll have to keep that in mind." The smile on Penelope's face softened as she watched them and Erin shrugged a little, feeling her eyes well up a little. "I think she's about to drop off here."

"It's the disease. It makes her really tired." Erin ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. The soothing motion lulled her daughter to sleep and then she looked at Penelope. "How much do you know about what's going on with her?"

"Rossi told me just a little. I know that she's sick and as such needs you close to her. So, I'm to set up a swanky home office for the two of you to use while you battle this. I brought the very latest equipment, I just hope this helps a little."

The tears that had pricked her eyes began to fall down her cheeks as she nodded. "It does, thank you. I'm sorry, I hate to be so emotional, and I'm just worried I'm going to lose her." She looked away and struggled to get control of her emotions.

She heard rather than saw Penelope come up to her side, kneeling before her. "It is totally okay to be upset, Erin." She tried to nod, only to start crying harder. Penelope opened her arms and she fell forward a little, letting the woman embrace her as she cried.


	5. Chapter 5

"Thanks again for letting me spend the night, Erin. I had a good time giggling and talking with Chelsea." Penelope brushed out a few wrinkles in her skirt as she glanced over at Alex. Erin could tell she was trying to gauge the other woman's response to her statement, and she fought to keep the smile from her face as the other woman grimaced a little before schooling her features into a placid mask.

"It was our pleasure to host you, Penelope. I really appreciate everything you did to get our home office ready for our crucible." She knew she was being intentionally vague, cluing Alex in on the fact that something was up, yet not giving her any clue as to what it was.

The woman seemed intrigued, and it was then that she clammed up. Penelope seemed to catch on to her intention and also said nothing more as the elevator continued its climb. Finally, though, Alex seemed to break and she turned to look at Penelope, ignoring Erin entirely. "Why would you be over there willingly?"

The derision in her voice was nothing new, even though it still hurt her deeply. Penelope instantly rose to her defense, stepping closer to her and reaching out for her hand. "Because Erin is a really awesome woman, and you would do well to get to know the her of now than hold on to the image you have of her from more than a decade ago. And don't try to blame dumb, we all know about the Amerithrax case, even if no one wants to call you on it. God, you are such a bitch."

Erin couldn't keep from tsking slightly, and Penelope cocked her head as she looked at her. "I wish you wouldn't use gendered terms as an insult, Penny. There are much better ones out there, like lily-livered coxcomb." This brought out a giggle in the woman and she fought hard to swallow her smile at the look on Alex's face. "Now, are you planning on heading home with me after the briefing or were you going to stop by on your lunch hour?"

"It depends on how much more work you think needs to be done. Chelsea is going to try out the Skype function as soon as I get into my office, and we'll go from there. You need to pack up your files, right?"

"Yes, and then go up and meet with the Director. Poor David has classes all day today, and won't be home until after five." She lifted an eyebrow at Alex as they both brushed past her to head their separate ways. There was something heady and freeing about acting as if she wasn't there, pretending that Penelope was the only one in the elevator, and she felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. After all, she had more important things to worry about at the moment.

It didn't take long for her to gather up everything she would need at home and she made her way up to Penelope's office. In the short time it took to climb the stairs, she felt Alex's eyes on her, glaring, and she fought to keep from acknowledging her. Knocking softly, she waited for Penelope to open the door, keeping her back to the rest of the bullpen.

The door just cracked open when Aaron joined her. Turning her head slightly, she gave him a quick once over, trying to determine his mood before engaging with him. "Good morning, Aaron," she said cautiously, still not certain what he wanted.

"Good morning, Erin. I think I'll join you inside Garcia's office, as there's something I wish to discuss with you." She nodded and they disappeared inside, the door closing behind them.

"Boss Man! What brings you here, too?" Penelope questioned innocently, smiling up at him.

"I got quite an earful from Alex this morning about the two of you. I thought I should hear your sides before making up my mind as to what the truth is."

Erin sighed as she sank down onto the sofa, rubbing her thighs as she stared off into space. "I'm not drinking again, if that was your first thought. My daughter is extremely ill, and it will necessitate that I work from home for the coming months. Penelope and I were having a conversation about that this morning in the elevator, and Alex saw fit to butt in and try to make the situation about her."

The blood had drained from his face the moment she had mentioned Chelsea's illness, and she knew he was thinking about Jack, and what he would do if he were faced with a similar situation. Nodding a little, he took a seat next to her and reached out to let his hand hover over her knee, as if he weren't certain that he should that he should touch her. Taking the initiative, she slipped her hand down to clasp his.

"Will, will she be okay?"

It wasn't something that she cared to dwell on, pushing it from her mind as she focused on the day to day of Chelsea's struggle. "I'm praying to God that she will be." His hand tightened around hers and she nodded, blinking back tears. "I'm still not one to talk about my problems, Aaron. I have my David for that right now. But if you pray, pray for her."

"Of course, Erin. Well, I think I'll leave you two alone here, I got everything I need." Standing, he clapped his hand on her shoulder before leaving the room.

After he'd left, Penelope handed her a tissue and she dabbed at her eyes. "I'm ready to head out, I don't think that they'll need me too much for the briefing, it looks like a relatively tame case as compared to others."

"Just, come to my house after you let Aaron know that you plan to take the day off. I don't want him to think that you're blowing off work because Alex upset you."

She nodded and they both stood, heading over to the door. Erin made her way to the elevators and pushed the button, turning to watch the bullpen as she waited. David popped out of his office, his eye finding her and she waved to him, a tiny smile on her face. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she pulled it out, her smile growing a little as she saw the message. _I love you, too_, she texted back, watching his face as he received the message.

His smile delighted her and she sighed a little as she stepped into the elevator, waving to him before the doors closed. The tight feeling in her chest that had been plaguing her all morning abated a little and she took a deep breath, knowing that things were going to be all right, even if she didn't really know the future clearly.


	6. Chapter 6

Erin stepped into her home, going to the front door and unlocking it for Penelope before heading into the living room and checking on Chelsea. She was asleep, the laptop open on her lap. Shaking her head a little, she powered the computer down and closed it, setting it on the coffee table. Taking a blanket off the back of the couch, she covered her daughter up and then sat down.

She pulled out the files she had brought home, stacking them neatly before grabbing the first one and beginning to run through it. There weren't any questions raised by the after action report, so she set it aside, creating a completed pile, and then sighed, looking over at her daughter. This was going to prove harder than she thought, as he mind continuously turned towards her, wondering what she could do to make things better for her.

"Hey, Erin! I managed to slip out right after you. I'll get to work setting up the secure network now, so you can easily send your files back to the office." Looking up, she smiled at Penelope before inclining her head to her daughter's sleeping form. "Ooh, sorry."

"That's all right, she tends to sleep hard these days." Penelope nodded and took a seat on the floor, pulling her own laptop out of her messenger bag and setting it up on the coffee table. Then she took out a small black box that Erin assumed was going to secure her connection. "You are going to have as good a setup here as I have at my apartment."

"As long as I'm able to do my work, I'll be happy. So, was Alex still upset when you left?"

Penelope cocked her head to the side, a sad look passing across her face as she reached up to caress her knee lightly. "She shouldn't matter to you, Erin." She shrugged, trying to blink back tears. "Honey, come down here so I can hug you properly."

She slid off the sofa and folded her legs beneath her body, accepting the tight hug. "I just can't bear to have one more stressor in my life right now. I am so close to falling off that ledge because of this."

Her friend sucked in a deep breath as she reached up to cup her cheek in a thoroughly needed intimate gesture, rubbing her cheek softly with her thumb. "And I will not let that happen to you. Neither will Rossi. Trust us, okay?"

Erin nodded slowly, closing her eyes. "I am so worried," she admitted, somewhat brokenly, hoping Penelope wouldn't think any less of her.

"You're a momma who loves her child dearly. Why wouldn't you be worried about her?" Erin nodded as she burrowed close to Penelope. "Would you like to cry now? I won't tell anyone that you did."

She laughed a little before bursting into tears, focusing on the comfort of Penelope's hand rubbing soft circles on her back. It seemed like her tears would never end now that she had let them fall, and soon she began to hiccup a little, never letting go of Penelope. And then, another hand was on her back. Recognizing the heavy weight of David, she turned to him, wrapping herself up in him.

"What's set you off now, _cara_?" he whispered in her ear, and she shook her head.

"I just needed to let out some steam, honey," she finally said, pulling away to look into his warm brown eyes. "I love you."

"Funny, I was just thinking that myself. I love you, Erin." She sighed as she melted against his strong chest, seeking out the warmth he exuded. "Has Chelsea been sleeping this entire time?"

"I don't know. When I got home, she was asleep on the couch. I don't like this, Davie," she said lowly as they got up and cuddled together on the sofa. "Now that you've seen us at our most domestic, Penelope, I must tell you that you are not to let anyone know this. Ever."

Penelope giggled a little as she nodded. "I promise that I will never tell a soul what I see here. It wouldn't be fair to you. But if Derek asks me any questions, I won't lie to him, either, okay?"

Erin looked up into her beloved's eyes. "I suppose that I could be okay with that arrangement," she said as she smiled. "Are you planning on staying for supper? I'm sure that we can make enough for all of us."

Penelope nodded eagerly. "I would love it if I could. You and Rossi make the best food out of all of us."

David laughed and rubbed her back softly. "I may have learned a few tricks from Erin. She is a culinary goddess."

She felt a slight blush stain her cheeks as she leaned against her lover. "I'm not that good, honey. I just like cooking. If Chelsea wakes up, tell her we're in the kitchen, okay?"

"Will do!" Penelope smiled sunnily at them and Erin smiled back before turning and heading out of the room.

"How bad are the cravings?" he asked the moment they were alone in the kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure that if Penelope hadn't come when she did I would have broken down and found some alcohol. My worries are starting to overwhelm me. I told that to Penelope, and she seemed to understand, but I don't think anyone can truly understand. I have to live in this hyper-aware state without any means of escape, because that escape would spell my downfall."

She stepped into his open arms, accepting the strength he offered her. "Oh, Erin, my beloved, you are carrying a heavy burden. We are here for you, though, and can help shoulder that burden, okay?" he whispered in her ear.

Erin slowly nodded before nuzzling her face into the fabric of his blazer. "I suppose we should start making supper now. You and Penelope are bound to be hungry."

"Aren't you, Erin?"

She shook her head. "I'm finding that my appetite is fading, the more I worry about Chelsea. And yes, I know that's not a good thing, but…"

"You're grieving and worried. That does suppress your appetite, but you need to eat. If I have to, I'll make the most scrumptious things I know how to cook and stay with you until you've eaten a good portion of them."

Erin pulled back to look into his eyes, seeing the love shining there. "Where would I be if I didn't have you in my life? I love you." She pursed her lips together, hoping he would take the hint. He chuckled lowly before covering her lips with his, letting the embrace linger softly.

"I love you, too, _cara_." She nodded, wondering what she had done to deserve such great love in her life. "Now, I think that we should have hamburgers for supper. That's easy enough to make, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't seem very…Italian," she teased, trying to gain some equilibrium.

"Well, my mother found a few good things to make from here. Just sit on the counter and watch my work my magic."

Erin smiled as she hoisted herself up, letting her legs dangle and swing. These were the times that she longed for, being together with her family, her loved ones. She only wished that Chelsea would get better soon, so she wouldn't have to worry so much.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Erin woke up, stretching against David. "Good morning, my love," she whispered as she leaned over and kissed him. He mumbled something in his sleep as he turned over and she smiled, pulling the covers up around his shoulders as she slipped out of bed.

Smiling down on her lover, she sighed and then kissed him once more. In his sleep, he grinned and she felt her eyes tear up a little as she went over to their armoire and pulled out a comfortable dress. One thing that she could look forward to was not getting dressed up for the office. It was one less thing to worry about, and for that she was grateful.

After pulling on her dress and brushing her hair, she padded over to the bathroom and brushed her teeth before heading downstairs and pouring herself a glass of water. Taking it into the living room, she booted up laptop and began to read her email. There was nothing of real import there, and she closed down the program before logging into the mainframe of the FBI and checking to see if she had any files to go over. Finding none, she frowned a little and finished her water before standing and stretching.

Finally taking a look at the clock, she saw that it was only half past six, and she shook her head. "No wonder there's nothing to do," she murmured, going over to her bookcase and perusing the titles there.

"Looking for something good to read?" Erin turned to smile at David, shrugging a little. "I notice that you have all my books relegated to the bottom shelf."

"That's because I read them entirely too often. Even when we were fighting, your words were like a balm to me, soothing me in some strange way." He nodded and came up to her side, wrapping his arms around her waist as she leaned against him. "Maybe my heart knew that I was always in love with you and by keeping this small piece of you in my home, you weren't ever really gone."

"When did you turn into a romantic, Erin?" he murmured, pressing his lips against her head. She sighed and gently prodded him over to the sofa, letting him pull her down onto his lap. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"I started realizing how much I gave up by choosing the safe option. Alan gave me three wonderful children, but it just wasn't the same." She burrowed close, feeling on the verge of tears once more.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Erin. I'm sorry." He pressed his lips to her cheek and she smiled a little. "I love you."

"I love you." She reached for his hand, threading their fingers together. It was easy to sit and be silent with him, letting their breaths sync up and feeling the soft rise and fall of his chest. A soft noise behind them had her craning her neck to see which of the others had woken up and joined them. "Good morning, Penelope."

"Morning. I'm brewing coffee for us. How do you function this early without caffeine?" she grumbled and Erin tried to suppress her laugh.

"Coffee only does so much, Kitten. Unless you're a morning person like Erin." He rubbed her shoulder gently and she snuggled back in close to him. She had just gotten comfortable once more when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Penelope said, leaving them alone and traipsing over to the front door. "Oh, you look like your mom!" Erin wondered which of her children had shown up and she sighed a little, burrowing closer to Dave.

"Hey, Mom." The deep voice of her son caused her to smile and she raised her free hand up to wave him over. Nick joined them in moments, plopping down onto the free end of the sofa. "How's Chelsea doing?"

"She's coasting along, Nicky. What brings you here?" she asked, reaching out for his hand.

"I had a little time before my first class today. Dad is still really upset that she chose you to be the one to take care of her. He thinks that he can do a better job."

David's hand closed around hers painfully and she winced a little, tapping her fingers against his to clue him in. "Why? Does he still think I'm going to fall down drunk at the slightest bat of an eyelash? I'm in recovery, and I have lovely friends who support and protect me," she said harshly, feeling her eyes sting with unshed tears.

"Maybe," her son replied, looking away from her. "I don't think so, but he does."

"Well, I'm not going to do that. I care too much about the life I recovered to fuck it up now. Especially while Chelsea is so ill." The tears she had been holding back began to fall down her face and she turned her face from her son, her favored child. His disbelief in her, even though he had tried to deny it, cut to the core. "Please, leave and let me take care of your sister. If there's any change, I'll call and let you know."

The dismissal was clear in her voice and she felt the sofa move as Nick got up. Again, she felt more than saw his hand hover over her shoulder and she pulled away from him, hoping he would understand later how much he had hurt her. "I'll talk to you later then, Momma."

She nodded, pressing her lips tightly together in the effort to not break into sobs. As she listened to his steps leave the room, she turned into her David, letting him hold her tightly as she gave in to her tears. "You're all right, Erin. I have you." He began to stroke her hair, trying to soothe and comfort her.

"Promise me something?"

"Anything, my bella Erin."

"Promise me that you won't let me slip. I'm trusting you and Penelope and the others to keep me on the straight and narrow. I won't let Alan win this battle."

"I promise you that not one single drop of alcohol will touch those sweet lips of yours ever again." He tipped up her face and kissed her softly. "And now, I think Kitten has arrived with our coffee."

"I have. I thought your son was here, so I poured four cups."

"He had to leave, didn't want to be late for his first class of the day." Erin looked up at her friend and saw her gasp a little. "I know, my eyes are all puffy, aren't they? The one side effect of crying that I hate the most."

She nodded wordlessly and handed over two mugs. Erin wrapped her hands around the warmth, letting it bleed into her skin. "I'm sorry he hurt you."

"He's a bit thoughtless, and took his father's side in the divorce. His influence was stronger than mine was for a while." Penelope sat down and curled her feet under her as she smiled at her. "I should probably check on Chelsea before the day really starts. I'll be right back."

She leaned in and kissed David, needing to feel his lips on hers once more. Then she stood and made her way over to the stairs. Looking up them, she saw her baby standing at the top, weaving slightly. "Momma, I don't…" Erin gasped as her daughter crumpled to the ground, striking her head against the bannister.

"David!" she screamed as she ran up the stairs, needing to get to her child. "David!" He appeared and took the stairs two at a time, kneeling at their side. "Help me."

He nodded and scooped Chelsea up, carrying her downstairs. Penelope was on the phone, and from what Erin could hear, she was talking to 911 and she sank gratefully against her lover, her heart full to overflowing with thankfulness that they were here with her.


End file.
